A Sad Mother's Day

When we got Ratty for J's 4th birthday I did a lot of research and found out that rats really need to live in groups, or pairs at a bare minimum in order to be happy.  So a couple of weeks after we got Ratty, J saved up $7 of her own money and we bought Daisy.  Daisy was a very timid rat from the start, but extremely sweet and very smart.  She was also probably our prettiest rat.  Very petite and dainty.  Her name suited her well.

After Ratty died, Daisy started to go downhill as well.  I halfway expected it as they were constant companions.  When we got home last night, she was still in her cage, not moving much with very rapid breathing.  I called J into the bedroom to come say her goodbye's.  She got to hold Daisy who would just sit in our laps (very unusual for any rat). 

I got her out of her cage and knitted and talked to her until 2:00 this morning.  She lay in my lap almost the whole time.  She would get up and move slowly around the bed occasionally, and would take very small licks of the vanilla yogurt that I had out for her.  She refused to drink any water.  I knew that it couldn't be long.  I put her back in her cage with a little bed of her own at around 2:00 hoping that she would still be alive when we got up this morning.

Unfortunately she wasn't.  R.I.P. Daisy.  We'll miss you very much my sweet beautiful little girl

Ratty on the left, Daisy on the Right